


we'd fall from grace

by orphan_account



Category: NCT (Band), NCT Dream, NCT U - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, Kissing, Lee Jeno is Whipped, M/M, Na Jaemin is Whipped, barista! jaemin, established! jaewin, established! lumark, established! renhyuck, jaemjen - Freeform, model! jaemin!, musician! jeno, mutual pinning! chensung, nomin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 05:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17053814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The first thing that Jeno did when he saw the very pretty barista is to embarrass his whole being and pour his drink on himself. Oh gay gods please let the ground swallow him before he combust in humiliation.Jaemin is not amused.or alternatively cafe au where jeno is an embarrassed whipped boy for that pink haired barista. said pink-haired barista is sassy but whipped too, and at least he's confident. then insert intense mutual pinning in here. their friends are not amused





	we'd fall from grace

**Author's Note:**

> \-- the summary sucked im so sorry im sleep deprived (シ_ _)シ but this is a cafe au no one asked for
> 
> short warning: slight rough kissing. nothing sexual just messy hairs and kissing i promise (my babies are minors). jokes that for open minded only (this is crack, okay and no its not sexual)

The first thing that Jeno did when he saw the pretty, pretty pink-haired barista for the first time was to spill his entire mocha latte down the front of his shirt.

In his defense, (which is totally accepted according to him), the pretty barista hadn’t been visible when he was ordering – the cute kid who got cat whiskers when he smiles manning the cash register had taken his order – and Jeno had been focused on finishing his Calculus papers that is due in his next class. So when someone had called, “Jeno, Jeno, anyone called Jeno in here?” he didn’t look up from the stack of papers he was holding as he picked up his drink.

“Jeno?” the voice repeated, and Jeno who’s so busy solving that damned integrals mumbled an absent, “Yes, that’s me,” before he lifted his cup to his lips and his gaze to the barista, intent on saying a quick thank you before leaving.

And then he actually saw the barista.

And then he forgot that he’s biting his drink and poured his order down his shirt as his jaw literally dropped.

Because, someone please slap him, um, wow. Had Jeno ever seen anyone that attractive? Damn. The barista had soft features, from his cute pinkish lips to his pointed nose, and his eyes were the prettiest shade of honey Jeno had ever encountered. His pink hair appeared to be messily styled in the most attractive way possible, and his skin was bit tanned and flawless, doll-like.

Jeno’s sure that the barista in front of him is an actual angel.

Needless to say Jeno gaped. The gay gods is surely laughing at him, wherever they are.

Meanwhile, the barista was eyeing him with an expression of concern (which was also quite attractive on him, Jeno's already whipped brain happily noted). He ran his fingers hesitantly through his hair, lifting his free hand to point at the growing stain steaming sadly on the front of Jeno's shirt. "Um, I could be wrong, but… I think you may be burned."

Jeno’s brain decided it was a good time to inform him that not only was Barista Boy entirely gorgeous, he was also very intelligent, because Jeno was  _indeed_  burned. Quite badly.

As a result of said burn(s), Jeno let out a noise that not only sounded half-dying-cat, half-mutated-bird but was also probably also the least attractive thing he could've done.

And that was how Jeno spent his first meeting with Barista Boy sitting behind the counter with Barista Boy holding a wet towel to Jeno's chest while the cat whiskers boy attempted (in vain) to get the stain out of his shirt and Jeno tried his very hardest to not blush, dissolve in a puddle of embarrassment, or begin crying.

At least he got a name out of the whole ordeal, mostly because sitting in close proximity with Barista Boy meant Barista Boy's name tag was very much visible.

 

_Jaemin._

* * *

As the (incredibly cute) customer awkwardly waved as he left, Chenle leaned over to prod Jaemin on the shoulder. "So hyung?" His expression spelled out trouble in size three billion block letters, if the wiggling eyebrows are signs.

"So what?" Jaemin replied, probably too defensively, as he turned to reach for another cup to start making the caramel frappucino that had been ordered by a student. "I don't know what you're trying to say."

"Oh, I think you do," Chenle sang as he flounced back over to reclaim his spot at the register from a bored-looking Jinyoung. He glanced over one shoulder to send a shit-eating smile in his direction. "You got to spend thirty minutes seeing a _very_ nice-looking guy topless, looking  _deep_ into his eyes, running your hands  _all over him_ –"

" _Shut up_ ," Jaemin hissed, as he slammed the caramel frappucino down on the counter – which earned him a disapproving look from the student. Jaemin muttered a quick “sorry” to the customer. If not he’s sure that Jaehyun-hyung will beat his ass for behaving negatively in front of a customer.

Or not because he knows his hyung loves him too much. But still. He eyed Chenle who ignored him then beamed sunnily at the girl who had begun to stutter through her order for a hazelnut frappe. "But seriously Nana-hyung," he started, after the girl had edged away, "you were giving him the looks the same way you give heart eyes to Mark-hyung when—“

"Okay we are not bringing up the Mark talk." Yes, the man had been off-the-charts attractive, but Jaemin doesn’t want to compare latte-spilling guy to his painfully long high school crush (he was sixteen okay, and Mark is the definition of boyfriend material) and childhood friend, who has a happy relationship with his also childhood friend Yukhei.

He thought momentarily of the guy's pretty chocolate eyes as he drenched himself in latte, which turns into moon crescents when he’s smiling or embarrassed, remembering his dark locks that compliments his face sculpture, that god defined nose and his reddish lips that was partly opened when he’s caught off guard. And the smooth, well-defined contours of his chest and abs.

_Okay, maybe._

"You weren't the one watching the whole thing," Chenle insisted before he propped himself up on one elbow and faced him seriously. "But seriously, hyung What are you going to  _do_?"

"Maybe just think 'Oh, that guy was really good-looking,' and move on with my life? That’s what most people do Lele. " Jaemin replied.

Lifting his eyes to the ceiling, presumably to pray for patience about his hyung's stupidness, Chenle corrected slowly, "I mean if he comes in again, hyung. What are you going to do then?"

Jaemin scoffed, rolling his eyes. "As if he'd ever come back to a café he publicly humiliated himself at." Though Jaemin honestly thought the whole clumsy spilling-his-drink-down-the-front-of-his-shirt thing was possibly the most adorable thing he'd ever witnessed.

More adorable than Mark getting all shy. Or Mark getting all giggly and soft with Yukhei.

What.

Ignoring Chenle's mutterings – he had a feeling he probably didn't want to know what he was talking about – Jaemin glanced down at his hands. Well, at least he knew the guy's name. He thought back to the name written on the cup in Chenle's practiced hangul handwriting.

 

_Jeno._

* * *

 

 

" _I spilled my entire latte down my shirt_ ," Jeno wailed into the phone.

On the other end of the line, there was silence, and then Renjun heaved a sigh of long-suffering. "Jeno," he began, very carefully and in his ‘you’re tolerating an idiot Renjun’ voice "please stop, take a deep breath, and tell me what exactly you're talking about."

Jeno did as he told, though the breath he took probably qualified as shallow rather than deep. He glanced around the park bench he was sitting on – nobody seemed to be paying attention to him, though one kid who had been feeding some pigeons looked at him a little askance, probably because his shirt had a gigantic stain on it. "So you know that little café right off campus? The one next to the flower shop?"

"Uh…wait" Renjun paused. "Oh, right. It's called 'Café 127' or something, right?"

"Right. So I went there for the first time today after my lecture, and there was this really nice-looking barista there."

"Okay."

"Like, a  _really_ attractive barista. He was, like, a forty two on a scale of one to ten. He was  _that_ attractive.”

"Is there a point to this, Jeno I swear to god.”

"Give me a second. Well, anyway, I ordered a mocha latte, and when I went to pick it up,  _he was standing there_."

There was a pause, during which Jeno panted loudly (mostly for effect) and Renjun sat in silence.

"…Are you going to continue or what? I’m running out of “tolerate idiot time.” "

"I'm getting there," Jeno retorted, then composed himself. "And I was so surprised that he was so, y'know,  _attractive_ that I poured my entire mocha latte down the front of my shirt."

Another silence.

"Are you done yet?"

" _Shh_. And then, because I got burned by hot coffee, Barista Boy ended up treating my burn behind the counter for thirty minutes."

For a moment, Renjun didn't say anything, then, "Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"Are you physically injured?"

"Er… well, maybe a little, but I'm fine –"

"Good to hear. I'm hanging up now."

Jeno gave a gasp of horror. "And you're supposed to be my best friend," he sobbed, cradling his phone to his cheek, and Renjun groaned loudly.

"I  _am_ your best friend, Jeno. Just not when you call me to melodramatically sob over some guy you embarrassed yourself in front of.”

“Seriously, Injun. Me, Jeno? Your best best friend? The one who covers up for you when you cut P.E classes in high school because you abhor Mr. Jang? The one who –“

"Okay, stop. I get it, just stop," Renjun huffed, and Jeno suddenly had an idea as to why he was so snippy, Jeno asked suspiciously, "Are you with Hyuck right now?"

There was the sound of something falling over as Renjun's voice rose approximately three octaves in pitch (Jeno smirked, he love exposing his best friend). "Wh – huh? Why – no – what? Who? Hyuck? Who's Hyuck?"

Ignoring Renjun’s stutters (he’s always like that, what a tsundere), Jeno grumbled, "Fine, whatever. Go – talk about conspiracy theories or aliens or whatever you guys do on your dates." He sighed. "I still don't understand how you two can be in a relationship when you guys act like you always wanna fight each other."

"Yes, well, some of us prefer stable love-hate relationships to spilling coffee down ourselves and spending half an hour fantasizing over random baristas."

"I hate you."

"And you're supposed to be my best friend," Renjun said sadistically, and Jeno had a very unpleasant feeling that he was tossing his words back in his face. Or his ear, rather. "Have fun thinking about Barista Boy." A note of curiosity entered his tone. "Are you going to go back to 127, by any chance?"

"Uh…" Jeno rubbed at the back of his neck. "Maybe?"

"Oh, okay. I'll give you a raincoat the next time I see you."

"What? Why?"

"So you don't get your shirt dirty when you drop your drink again."

" _Wow_ –" A dial tone cut Jeno off, and he was struck by the urge to find a new best friend.

* * *

 

It was getting late when Jaemin finally waved goodbye to Chenle, who knotted his cashmere scarf around his neck as he smiled sparklingly at him. "Thanks for closing up, Nana-hyung!"

"I didn't exactly have a choice, Jaehyun-hyung is with Sicheng-hyung " Jaemin muttered, eliciting a dark look from Chenle before he smirked faintly at him. "Have fun on your date."

"It's not a date," Chenle huffed. The pink suddenly blooming on his cheeks begged to differ, though, and Jaemin just shook his head at him.

Ah his babies are growing up.

Jaemin looked at him, patronizing. "Ofcourse. Give Jiji my regards, okay? Tell him to not push himself too much."

“I will. Take care, hyung! See you tomorrow!” Chenle waved cutely at him before exiting from the café.

Smiling knowingly to himself – Chenle had been going out with Jisung for  _how long_ , and he still refused to admit that he was absolutely head over heels for the performing arts student (He’s my bestfriend, Nana-hyung!)  – Jaemin glanced around the darkened café. The chairs and tables cut dark shapes in the dim lighting, and he was about to turn off the last set of lights over the counter when the front door creaked open, the bell suspended at the top of the doorframe ringing softly.

Instinctively turning to look at the door, half of Jaemin's apologetic "Sorry, we're closed for the day," exited his mouth on autopilot before he cut himself off, his tongue tangling in his mouth as his eyes widened with surprise.

From where he was standing in the doorway, Mocha-Spilling Guy from two Mondays ago – his name was Jeno, if Jaemin recalled correctly (and of course he did, how could he forget?) – blinked awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his head. "Er – sorry about the hour, I just…"

For a moment, Jaemin just stared, jaw hanging open slightly. Reacquainting himself with the fact that Jeno was really really  _really_ attractive, oh god. "It's fine," he found himself saying, gesturing at Jeno to come in. "I was just closing up, but I can make an exception."

Jeno's smile was luminous in the murkiness. His eyes imitating the moon. "Really? Thanks." He carefully made his way across the store, heading for the counter.

Flicking the lights back on and flooding the room with light, Jaemin leaned against the counter to smile warmly at Jeno. Up close, Jeno wasn't looking as good – there were dark gray smudges occupying the space underneath his eyes, and his lips were painfully chapped and edged with an angry red – but there was still something like fireworks in his eyes, which seemed to make his face look alive as ever.

"Long week?" Jaemin asked, worrying tone present. He’s just curios, okay?

"You don't know the half of it. Finals are the worst thing in existence," Jeno muttered wearily, running a hand through his unkempt hair. His gaze flickered on Jaemin's face for a moment before he smirked suddenly. "But it's getting better."

"Is that a line?" Jaemin grinned, relaxing fully onto his elbows, and Jeno just hummed, halfway coy as he slanted a glance at Jaemin.

 _Damn_ he did look good from all angles. Wow.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Jaemin straightened and met Jeno's gaze head-on, turning businesslike. "What would you like? We've put away most of our supplies for the day, so we don't have mocha lattes, if that was what you were thinking." Jaemin said jokingly, trying to light up the mood between to not so strangers.

Unexpectedly, Jeno turned bright red and ducked his head. "Please shut up," he mumbled, red all the way to the tips of his ears, and Jaemin shook his head at him.

Cute.

"Just for that, I'm just going to make you hot white choco" Jaemin said. "Please don’t be shy, especially when I'm making an exception and serving you after hours."

"Right, right." Blowing out a breath, Jeno hesitantly peered back up at Jaemin before breaking into a half-smile that somehow managed to pass as seductive, despite the fact that Jeno was still doing a fairly accurate impression of a tomato. His eyelashes lowered halfway over his irises, fluttering just the slightest bit as he purred, "Sorry, Jaemin."

For all of three seconds, Jaemin's brain did a remarkably good job of going completely blank, leading him to eloquently stammer, "Uh…" before he finally regained control of his motor faculties and managed to say, "How did you know my name?"

Rolling his eyes, Jeno pointed at the name tag clipped to the front of his apron. "You're wearing a name tag."

"Oh." Jaemin blinked vacantly down at his name tag for a moment before he lifted his eyes to smile – as alluringly as he could – at Jeno, tapping his fingers lightly against the cup that he holds. "I guess I forgot about that, Jeno."

It was Jeno's turn to don the wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights expression, Jaemin noted with some satisfaction as he began to prepare Jeno’s drink. "Wait, what?"

"Your name was written on the cup," Jaemin reminded him smugly, and Jeno glared.

"No need for sass."

"But that's my charm point," Jaemin complained and pouted.

“Okay, you win.” Jeno said. “Now, stop pouting or else I will begin melting.”

“What?” did Jaemin just heard that?

Jeno seems to realize what he said but can’t think of any excuse so he just dumbly said “What?”

"Hmm, well then" Jaemin murmured, resting his face on one hand to beam at Jeno. He also gave the man his drink. "Enough about that. Since I made an exception for you, tell me something about yourself Jeno.”

The mentioned man picked up his cup of hot choco, taking a cautious sip before he answered. "Lee Jeno. I have three cats. I'm in a band, an aspiring musician but I'm also an engineering major at NCT U."

Jaemin's eyebrows went up. "Engineering major?"

"You'd be surprised," Jeno replied as he set down his cup. "Knowing that I’m an aspiring musician but I’m taking a science course. Just precautionary measures, if the music life isn’t for me you know."

"Oh." Jaemin wasn't entirely sure how to feel for a moment. He'd sort of been expecting Jeno to be some kind of liberal arts major, but knowing that he was an _aspiring musician and taking engineering courses_ , something that Jaemin was honestly interested in (when he was a kid with many dreams, one of them was to be a computer engineer), was, disturbingly enough… kind of a turn-on.

He swallowed quickly in an attempt to dispel  _that_ notion, smiling as naturally as he could over at Jeno. "That's impressive. But I’m sure you’ll do great."

"You think?" Jeno tilted his head contemplatively, lifting his cup to his lips.

"Of course, you seem to be that really hard working and passionate person, you know.You give that vibe off. I believe in you.” (And the greek god visual vibes too, but Jaemin didn’t mentioned that)

“That… thank you.” Jeno smiled sweetly at him. Giving that moon eyes that the pink-haired barista is weak for. “I honestly needed that.”

“You’re very much welcome.” Jaemin returned the smile, staring at the dark-haired boy.

There’s comfortable silence between them when Jeno asked “That’s about me. What about you?”

Is thia the getting to know each other stage? Jaemin's love sick self thought.

“Well, Jaemin’s the name. Medical student at NCT U, also. Uh.. this café is owned by me and by my brother?”

“You own this café?” Jeno asked in awe.

Jaemin hesistated a bit. He didn’t know what's gotten into Jeno’s reaction. “Uh.. well half of it but technically yes. Why?”

“Nothing.” Jeno said. “Just surprised since you know, you’re a college student. And college students are broke, well most college students that I know.” He chuckled.

“That’s true, I suppose. It’s just that me and my brother wants something that can generate income aside from the work we occasionally do so that we don’t bug our parents that much. I super love coffee and my brother just loves eating in general so café.”  Jaemin explained while Jeno stared at him.

He’s really really pretty. Jeno’s inner monologue stated. And there’s this comfort on talking to Jaemin that makes them seems like they know each other long already.

Glancing up at the square clock hanging over the coffee machine, Jeno picked up his cup, slightly hesitantly, before smiling one last time at Jaemin. "It's kind of late, so I guess I'll be heading out. I've got one more final tomorrow, after all."

"Oh. Good luck," Jaemin said, giving a kind grin as Jeno turned towards the door.

The aspiring musician stopped for a second, though, to look back over his shoulder at Jaemin. "You know," he began, clearing his throat in a vaguely awkward manner, "sometimes… sometimes me and my band mates perform at the campus square on Saturdays…"

"Really. That sounds… nice." Jaemin continued to blink over at Jeno. He was starting to feel as if he'd missed a very important cue. His suspicion was confirmed as Jeno blushed, color riding high on his cheekbones. A very nice look, in Jaemin's opinion.

"So if you're ever free on a Saturday, or… I don't know… you could… come see one? One of our performances, I mean. They're usually at eight in the evening, just right after most classes are done because that's when campus is busiest. I mean, you don't have to, but I think it might be fun if you'd, uh, show up. Maybe." This was concluded by a clearly uncomfortable hand along the back of the neck as Jeno whirled for the door. "You know what, never mind."

He was halfway out the door when Jaemin managed to unglued his jaw from the counter and get out, "No, seriously, that sounds... that sounds great. I'll definitely try to make it."

And suddenly Jeno was all firecracker smiles as he beamed over at Jaemin. "Really?" Jeno gives him the puppy eyes.

He looks like a Samoyed begging for affection.

And a Samoyed is Jaemin’s favorite animal.

"Yes, really." Jaemin was probably also smiling, albeit in a more embarrassingly stupid way rather than a brightly excited way.

"That's – that's great, I'll be looking forward to seeing you." Judging from the brilliance of the grin he cast in Jaemin's direction, Jeno, Jaemin decided, was the human embodiment of a sun. Or a star or something. Maybe even the galaxy. Just some kind of celestial body, one with an overabundance of smiles and good looks.

Jeno was about to take a step outside, the sole of his shoe scraping against the floor, when Jaemin blurted out, "And, uh, hey, I work weekdays from five to nine except on Tuesdays, in case you – you wanted to know. For some reason. Just – so you know."

He almost regretted it when Jeno nearly tripped, barely managing to catch himself on the door frame. But the moon-eyed, slightly flustered look Jeno sent him over his shoulder was enough to make him feel just a little bit better about it.

* * *

 

 

"You're…" Renjun blinked at him, searching for words. "You're… _smiling_." Completely taken aback, he nudged blindly at Donghyuck, who was sitting next to him with a similarly strangled expression. " _Hyuck_ ," he stammered what he probably thought to be a normal tone but was, in actuality, about eight octaves too high, "he's _smiling_."

Donghyuck, with very deliberate care, set his water glass down on the cafeteria table. "I know," he wheezed. His face appeared to be frozen in an expression that made him look as if someone was trying to remove his eyeballs from his eye sockets with a vacuum cleaner. " _I know_."

Jeno would try to find it in himself to be annoyed, but all he could bring himself to do was arch an eyebrow across the table at them. "You two have got that couples' telepathy thing down, I see." He smirked.

" _Hyuckie, he’s losing it._ " Renjun piped, clutching frantically at Donghyuck's sleeve. “Finals ended him.”

“Damn, and I thought we three can survive the hell of finals.” Donghyuck dramatically said, joining his boyfriend to gang up Jeno.

" _Oh my God_ ," Jeno fumed, throwing himself melodramatically back in his chair so it tipped dangerously. “Excuse you too, but I know that I’ll pass my finals (or he hopes because he got some cheering up from an actual angel slash very pretty barista, okay) and no I’m not it."

The couple exchanged surreptitious looks – Jeno had exactly three seconds to prepare himself for whatever stupid synchronized shit they were going to pull – before Donghyuck warily began, "About that, Jen… you see, we always thought you had homicidal tendencies, because you know I heard most engineering majors do, especially when Calculus is involved and we've been wanting to talk about it with you…" He blinked at him with mournful, heartless eyes. Renjun did the same, the traitor. "Are you sleeping at night? Do you have violent dreams or ideas? A knife collection?" He tilted his head understandingly at Jeno. "You can tell us, we're your friends. Your best friends."

Briefly, Jeno wondered if he would get any response if he put a "Wanted: New Best Friends Who Have Existing Braincells " ad into the school newspaper.

"On that note." Jeno cleared his throat pointedly, ignoring the twin shit-eating smiles they shared. He idly traced the rim of his water glass with his ring finger. "So… I talked to Barista Boy some more."  _Jaemin_.

Donghyuck somehow managed to go from evil sadist to overjoyed bear in all of .0001 seconds. "Oh my God, really?" His smile turned sunshiny. Well, he’s Full Sun. "What's he like?"

"Oh, well…" Jeno beamed down at the table, feeling disgustingly enchanted with the memory of Jaemin from last night. He probably wasn't supposed to be  _this_ infatuated after, what, two conversations with the guy, but it was kind of hard, when Jaemin smiled the way he did and let him come in after hours. "Really – really nice." He thought back to Jaemin handing him the choco. "He’s a medical student, actually. And he and his brother owns the café."

At this point, Renjun, who had staring intensely at him said. "Really? He owns 127?"

"Yes, amazing right," Jeno proudly said before perking back up. "He let me come into the café after hours, just because… well, I guess because I looked depressed or something."

Which, in retrospect, was rather sad, and Renjun seemed to pick up on him sighing inwardly. He shook his head at him quickly, reassuring. "I doubt that was it, Jeno."

"What's his name?" Donghyuck asked, probably for blackmail or something like that. But Jeno’s in good mood so he shrugged it of.

"Don’t try to pull something Hyuck, I swear.” Jeno groaned, then relented. "I don't know his last name, but his first name is Jaemin"

Instantly Donghyuck's eyes widened. "Jaemin? Do you mean Na Jaemin?"

"Uh…" Jeno stared at him, very disturbed at the sudden animation in Donghyuck's eyes. "If you're thinking of trying to pick up Jaemin, I would like to remind you that your boyfriend is sitting next to you, and he’s an expert in chocking people and inflicting pain.”

Renjun grinned, “Don’t try me, sweet sweet Hyuckie.”

Donghyuck ignored them in favor of digging his phone out of his pocket. "No, really," he said breathlessly, typing something up on his phone before showing them articles:

_Super model Na Jaemin, cover of three of the most prestigious magazines Vogue, Love Shot_ _, and The Iris in the past month._

_Supermodel couple Jaehyun and Winwin poses for Poetic Beauty, together with rising star, Jaehyun’s brother Jaemin!_

_Na Jaemin, the modern-prince charming!_

_Na Jaemin, youngest model to top at Empathy’s fashion chart!_

The articles are accompanied by photos of Jaemin from different shoots. Different hair styles and colors. Different themes , from sweet summer shots to sexy bad boy looks.

Still same beautiful boy.

"He's  _kind of_ a big deal, you know. Buy one magazine and I’m sure there’s Jaemin’s face on it.

Jeno stared, at a loss. "Oh." Jaemin certainly hadn't told him that. The super model thing.

"You really know how to pick them," Renjun murmured, eyebrows lifted.

* * *

 

 

"I had no idea I was talking to a celebrity all this time," Jeno said somberly as he laid down a thin stack of bills.

It was several days after the little after-hours meeting they'd had, and Jaemin had been surprised to see Jeno again so soon. Today, Jeno was looking just as overwhelmingly celestial-body as before, though with less under-eye circles and more pressed simple tight shirt that defines various parts, thank you very much.

"Huh?" Jaemin looked up at him in bewilderment, one eyebrow crawling up his forehead. He slid several coins back across the counter towards Jeno, glancing around him to take in the huge line slowly gathering behind him. "What are you talking about?"

Tucking his change into the front pouch of his shoulder bag, Jeno shrugged and gave a melancholy sigh. "I was talking to my friends about you, and Donghyuck revealed to me that you're actually famous." He eyed Jaemin dolefully through his ridiculously pretty eyelashes, bottom lip quivering. "There are  _articles_  written about you."

Jaemin was momentarily distracted by said eyelashes, then by Jeno's comments. "You talk to your friends about me?" Something dangerously close to surprised affection filled his lungs.

"Uh –" Jeno flushed, clearly caught off guard, before he rubbed sheepishly at the base of his neck.  "Maybe?"

"Hm," Jaemin hummed knowingly, eyebrows lifted suggestively. He smirked internally as he noted blood drawing even closer to the surface of Jeno's skin (that was a really nice shade of pink) before he gave a mildly uncomfortable jerk of his shoulders. "Well, about the articles – I mean, I guess I do have some… fame. Some people know who I am, at least." He paused. "Usually not people who come here, though. Not many magazine-readers around these parts, I guess" Mostly because the customers were mostly collage-aged students that prioritizes surviving college, and not baristas that serves them their coffee. Jaemin thought to himself. “Me and Jaehyun-hyung decided that we don’t want to put our magazines on the rack, cause you know, embarrassing. We also didn't publicized that we own this cafe. And we don’t wear makeup when there isn’t a shoot so I guess that’s why." Jaemin explained.

The grin on Jeno's face was the epitome of self-satisfied. "If I'd known you were in the magazine, I'd be purchasing every one with you in them."

A horrific blush made its way onto Jaemin's face as he fumbled the cup he'd been holding. "Please stop talking."

(There was a stray " _Get a damn room_ ," from behind Jeno. Both of them pretended that they hadn't heard anything.)

"But still, wow, a real celebrity," Jeno smirked, clearly enjoying Jaemin's reaction. His biceps filled out the sleeves of his shirt rather nicely as he leaned forward. Jaemin reluctantly dragged his gaze away to refocus them on Jeno's dancing eyes. "I'm impressed…  _Nana-cheonsa_."

Something about the way Jeno half- _purred_ the appellation made Jaemin's cheeks relight. "Excuse me?"

Jeno just grinned, a positively revolting combination of charming and amused, and sauntered over to the pick-up area to where an irked Jinyoung was waiting with his iced caramel macchiato.

Jaemin stared after him, tracking him with his eyes as Jeno gave Jinyoung an apologetic grin, the full two million watts (he blinded his irritation for a moment, leaving him blinking at him in none-too-annoyed confusion), before heading for the only unoccupied table in the shop. He pulled something out of his book bag (it looked like a stack of stapled papers from where Jaemin was standing) and began to peruse it, brow crinkling in concentration.

"Well," Chenle remarked, saccharine, from his own register, smiling tightly over at him, "aren't you two cute hyung, already on pet names?" When Jaemin opened his mouth to protest, Chenle reminded him, "But let me remind you hyung that its rush hour and I may have to sacrifice you to the coffee shop gods if you don't make yourself helpful, even if you technically owns this café. Also Jaehyun-hyung will be disappointed." Chenle, again smiling sweetly with not so sweet intentions.

The pink-haired barista rolled his eyes at Lele.

"How may I help you?" Jaemin directed to the bleached blonde in front of the register.

Chenle released his dolphin laugh.

(Later that day, when its already close to closing hours. Jaemin managed to catch Jeno’s _I’ll see you on Saturday, on the show. Goodnight, cheonsa._ Together with his ever stunning eye smile and Jaemin thinks he’s falling.

 

He already is)

* * *

 

 

"How did we do? How did I perform? How did I look? Did we make a mistake? " Jeno tugged at his hair uncomfortably, looking at his best friend pleadingly.

Renjun blinked owlishly at him before turning to Hyuck, who was glued to his side. "Hyuckie, I think Jeno has been replaced by an insecure fourteen-year-old girl."

Donghyuck nodded solemnly in agreement. "And just because Na Jaemin came to see our show." He glanced at the throng of people clogging up most of the park (it was impossible to pick out any single person) and shook his head. "Or supposedly came, at least."

"Wow, you two are so incredibly helpful," Jeno growled, glaring as he tried to flatten his hair. He sighed. Why hadn't he brought a comb?

It was a few minutes past the conclusion of Dream Chaser's show, past their show. The weather was good, moonlight shined brightly. Cold breeze of Seoul swaying at them but its comforting and not anywhere that can cause hypothermia. Students are just ready to go home, (or to their dorms)

And Jeno was having a nervous breakdown, right there behind the stage.

He glared as Renjun and Donghyuck simultaneously shook their heads, doing their terrifying couple synchronicity thing, and heaved a heavy breath. "Oh my God, what if he didn't like the show? What if he thinks our music suck? What if he thinks I’m out of tune? What if he walked out in the middle? What if he didn't even  _come_? Is  _that_ why he hasn't come to talk to me? What if he thought my shirt looks stupid? Why did I even  _invite_ him?"

"Well," Renjun said, thoughtful, "you shirt  _does_ look stupid –" (Jeno gave a wounded sound;  _this was one of his favorite shirts, and it looked stupid, oh my God, where are his braincells, do he need to cry at Doyoung-hyung now_ ) "– but what's probably even stupider is the way you're freaking out. Calm down. If he didn't like our show or if he walked out in the middle, then why the hell would you want to go out with him? And excuse you if he didn’t like our music then he isn’t the loml, Jeno." He placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "You're  _never_ this unconfident. You're a  _great_ guy with a _great_ personality and a  _great_ heart. Our music is good. We worked hard on that. You're  _Lee Jeno_. We’re the Dream Chasers, idiot!"

"So that’s your band’s name"

Jeno swore he jumped three inches out of his skin at the suddenly  _very close_ and  _very familiar_ voice coming from his left. He whirled so fast he almost fell over, gawping as Jaemin –  _Na Jaemin,_ his brain reminded him very supportively – strolled towards them, a vision of rolled-up sleeves and tousled hair and  _gorgeous_  and every other positive adjective in the universe.

He came to a stop in front of them, giving a friendly grin. "Hey. Great show. Sorry it took so long for me to get over here - the crowd's huge. And some fans recognized me. I need to get Mark-hyung to help me."

Silence descended like a thunderstorm as Donghyuck, Renjun, and Jeno all tried to rehinge their jaws.

Donning an uncomfortable smile, Jaemin tried, "Uh… hi, I'm Na Jaemin, Jeno's friend."

Renjun was the first to regain his voice. "Oh," he choked, face painted several deep shades of crimson. "Oh  _wow_. Jeno actually had braincells for once."

"Excuse… me?" Jaemin looked mildly concerned, squinting at him. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Mmhm, perfectly all right," Renjun got out, though he sounded strained. He gripped at Donghyuck's arm. "I'm Huang Renjun. Jeno's best friend." He managed a smile as Jaemin inclined his head politely to her.

Somehow, Jeno's brain finally succeeded in catching up to the last minute, when Donghyuck cut in, seeming to finally have managed to get his tongue to work. "You're - you're Na Jaemin?"

"Yes, I am." Jaemin smiled patiently and politely, waiting for an explanation.

Donghyuck's face lit up in a way Jeno had seen on him the sun shine. And its night. Its fairly amusing if you asked him. "Lee Donghyuck, nice to meet you. I’ve been your and your brother's fan since Produce"

"Really?” And _Jaemin's_  face lit up, which would've been a much more satisfying thing to watch, had Donghyuck not been the cause. As it were, Jeno sort of felt an odd urge to hide Donghyuck’s tarot cards.

“Since, Produce?” Jaemin asked and the two of them descended into a conversation that sounded as if it centered on produce, fan, Jaehyun, Winwin, Taeyong. Jeno even heard their council president’s name. “You know Mark-hyung? He’s my best and childhood friend!”

“Yeah, his boyfriend Yukhei is my counsin’s cousin told me that. Oh my god. I can’t believe I meet you.”

And they proceeded in fanboying at each other, with Jaemin complementing Hyuck’s voice.

Renjun leaned over to whisper, "He's got my seal of approval."

Jeno silently gasped at him in surprise. "But you've only just met him. Don't you usually not give a verdict on them until you’ve known their history and threated them with your chocking?”

“I know. But Jeno, did you see him? An angel in Earth. He’s so sweet. I tell you. If you don’t make a move on him, Hyuck and I will gladly do. Imagine. That’s world domination.”

"I did  _not_ need to hear that, but thanks, I guess."

They were quiet, content to take in the scene before them and the feel of wind brushing their cheeks. That is, until Donghyuck reached out to give Jaemin a koala hug and Jeno instantly snapped, "Okay, okay, Renjun, corral your boyfriend or I'll cut off his hand."

"You’re whipped but remember what I said, Jen, world domination," Renjun said and winked at him, as he stalked forward, grabbing Hyuck by the arm so hard that Hyuck flinched. He tossed Jaemin an apologetic glance. "I'm so sorry, but we'll have to be going now. Lovely meeting you Jaemin." With that, he hauled a very mystified Hyuck behind him and disappeared into the very slowly dissipating crowd.

Jaemin watched them go with eyebrows raised. "Okay, then." He turned back to Jeno, and there was the slightest curve to his too-pink, too-soft lips. "The show was great, by the way."

"Thanks." Jeno smiled, rolling his shoulders back. Now that his nerves were mostly assuaged, he probably wasn't going to pass out anymore, which was definitely an improvement.

He shot Jaemin a contemplative look. How could someone who messed him up so much when not around somehow calm him just as easily with his presence? "I'm a little – nervous, I guess, I'm really hoping I didn't disappoint you, after all."

A short moment passed, during which Jaemin studied Jeno's face and Jeno felt a little put out, pinned beneath Jaemin's breath taking gaze.

And  _then_ , without any explanation, warning, or preamble, Jaemin took a step forward and Jeno felt lips brush whisper-soft against his cheek, just barely touching the corner of his mouth, and all too soon Jaemin moved away, smiled, "Jeno, I sincerely doubt you could  _ever_ disappoint me," and walked off, a baffling combination of cavity-inducing sweet and blood-boiling seductive.

Jeno had to brace himself against the stage for a moment before he could breathe again.

Okay. Okay, so he should probably ask Jaemin out before he lost his mind.

* * *

 

It was nearly four days after the Dream Chaser’s show when Jeno finally showed up at the shop again.

Unfortunately, he had come in during rush hour yet again, and Jaemin had been stuck on drink-making duty and thus unable to talk to Jeno over the register. He did, however, spend a little extra time on Jeno's mocha latte.

The minute rush hour was over and almost all of the customers were filtering out the door, Jaemin made his way around the counter to cautiously approach the table Jeno had claimed. He was engrossed in some kind of packet, although from what Jeno could see, he was reading a different one from the first one he'd pulled from his backpack upon settling into his spot. This one appeared to be about basic astronomy, and he gave a mental nod of approval.

"Have you gotten to Newton's law of universal gravitation?" he asked by way of greeting, and Jeno's head snapped up, sinfully pretty chocolate eyes a little unfocused from reading for so long and his voice cracking with dryness as he made a sound of surprise before relaxing.

"Oh, no. Not yet," he answered, smiling vaguely, and Jaemin nodded, taking the seat across from him. For a second, he worried that he was being too presumptuous (despite the fact that he'd  _kissed_ Jeno on the cheek the last time they'd seen each other, he could still be overstepping some kind of boundary for all he knew) but then Jeno grinned impishly at him, leaning forward the slightest bit.

"So what's Newton's law of universal gravitation, Jaemin? Care to explain? You know, to justify that one article that say’s you’ve got everything from wit to beauty. "

Jeno's smile and Jeno's voice, Jaemin thought decisively, should be outlawed for how blinding they were in combination. Seriously.

"Well, basically, it states that there's attraction between any two objects, based on mass and the distance between them," he answered, trying his hardest not to let himself linger on Jaemin's lips. He was entertaining some  _seriously_ idiotic thoughts (ones that his Jaehyun-hyung would not approve) about what they would taste like.

Jeno's eyebrows rose in graceful twin arcs. "Oh, really?"

"Uh..." Jaemin swallowed. "Yes."

Damn, Jeno’s so ethereal.

"Then what happens," and here he leaned in even  _further_ , his unruly bangs sweeping lightly against Jaemin's forehead, and his voice was a low, halfway throaty sound as he finished, "if the distance is decreased, like this?"

Half of Jaemin's brain wanted to cry that this was one of the stupidest and most cliché pick-up lines he'd ever been exposed to, and the other half wanted to cry that Jeno was _unfairly attractive_  to the point that even the stupid, cliché pick up line would probably work.

(Jeno's eyelids lowered, eyelashes  _millimeters_  from touching Jaemin's.

…Okay, so it was  _definitely_ going to work.)

As both halves of Jaemin's brain were occupied, Jaemin's mouth took the liberty of answering, "The attraction between the two increases."

A tiny smirk crawled across Jeno's lips. "I see." His breath felt warm against Jaemin's lips.

Before Jaemin could breathe in again, Jeno's mouth was against his, moving unhurried and steady and questing, his tongue just the faintest suggestion along the seam of Jaemin's lips.

Jaemin's hands shot out to grab at Jeno's forearms, nudging papers and Jeno's empty coffee cup out of the way. This was  _insane_ , he thought, half-crazed, that they were kissing in public, at his and his hyung’s café , while he was still wearing his apron– and then Jeno's tongue was no longer just a suggestion, and all coherent thought on Jaemin's part ceased.

This wasn't love, no. Love came after more than a few weeks and a few cups of coffee and a few conversations, after months and years and too many shared smiles to count.

But Jaemin could taste something very,  _very_ close to love, right there in Jeno's mouth, in the soft skin of his wrists and the brush of his shirt sleeves against Jaemin's hands, something that  _did_ come with pouring lattes down oneself and making after-hours exceptions and attending amazing performances and hearing incredible songs, and that was more than good enough.

They broke apart, rather explosively, when Chenle fairly released his dolphin shriek, " _Oh my God, Nana-hyung, you're in public_ ," and there was the click of someone taking a picture with their phone.

They will probably end up in front of tabloids tomorrow. 

And fuck, is that Jaehyun-hyung with Sicheng hyung at the front door?!

Jaemin wiped furiously at his face, realizing that Jeno had been winding his fingers through Jaemin's hair at some point, because he could feel that his hair was rather disheveled, and he took great pride in the fact that Jeno's lips were bright red and kiss-bitten.

There was a short silence, then Jeno finally asked, "Do you want to – I don't know, get coffee sometime?" with one of his celestial-body smirks and moon-crescent eyes.

Jaemin just looked at him, took in the sparkle of his eyes and the crooked curl of his collar on one side and the rumpled bits of his hair, and grinned back. "Only if you promise not to pour your latte down the front of your shirt."

"That was  _one time_ ," Jeno groaned, and Jaemin laughs.

 

This isn’t love.

 

_Yet._

 

But he got Jeno and that’s enough.

**Author's Note:**

> yeehaw ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿ i hope you liked it? this is heavily inspired / rip off of lunadarkside's cafe au so please don't come at me, i'm sensitive, and if you don't like it then please tell me nicely
> 
> not edited, lots of typos
> 
> might do a part two, where mark enters and jaemin just you know (his mark tendencies) and lots of jealous and petty jeno, yukhei's laughing at the mess idk 
> 
> peace out ヾ(･|


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